Tongue cleaning is carried out in many areas of the world for the cleaning of mouth and dental areas. In particular, the cleaning of tongues is carried out so as to remove volatile sulfur compounds. This accumulation of bacteria is the most common cause of bad breath, affecting up to 85% of halitosis sufferers. Tongue cleaning is recommended by the American Dental Association and dental professionals nationwide for the treatment of chronic halitosis.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a prior art tongue cleaner device known as the SAKOOL (™) tongue cleaner device. This tongue cleaner device 10 is illustrated, with particularity, in FIG. 1. The tongue cleaner device 10 includes a flexible strip 12 which is suitable for conforming to the surface of the tongue for quick and easy cleaning. The strip 12 has a narrow width for avoiding the gag reflex. The strip 12 can be spearmint or cinnamon scented. FIG. 2 shows the tongue cleaner device 10 as utilized for the cleaning of the tongue 14 of person 16. As can be seen, the ends 18 and 20 are gripped by the fingers 22 of person 16. The ends 18 and 20 are bent toward each other so as to form an internal region 24. The tongue 14 is then stuck out of the mouth 26 of person 16 so as to enter the interior area 24 of the device 10. The bottom edge of the strip 12 will then pass over the upper surface of the tongue 14 so as to effectively scrape the tongue of person 16. Following the use, the tongue cleaner device 10 can be washed off and reused again. This prior art tongue cleaner is a purely physical process involving direct contact between the edge of the strip and the surface of the tongue.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,864, issued on Apr. 7, 1998 to C. G. Heisinger, Jr., teaches a disposable oral-hygiene instrument for loosening, collecting, and removing debris from the surface of the tongue. The device has a handle at one end with a textured surface at the other end for scrubbing the dorsal surface of the tongue. Along the distal perimeter edge of the scrubbing surface extends a cleaner for removing debris from the back to the front of the tongue. An absorbent material for collecting and removing debris is affixed to the same end of the instrument as the scrubbing surface. Although this device can be effective for the scrubbing of tongues, it requires extra manufacturing operations and is relatively expensive. A flavoring is applied to the scrubbing surface so as to minimize the gag reflects. However, the adding of flavoring to the roughened scrubbing surface will tend to reduce the impact and effect of the scrubbing surface. The scrubbing surface has a plurality of molded bumps formed thereon. In conventional injection molding procedures, these bumps will have a considerable size in order to have a cavity formed of metal in the injection molding machine. This device also lacks suitable openings for facilitating saliva circulation over and around the flavored surface and the scrubbing surface.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tongue cleaning apparatus which employs both physical and chemical processes for the cleaning of the tongue.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tongue cleaning apparatus which deposits an aesthetic-type mint flavoring and antiseptic solution onto the tongue of the user.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a tongue cleaner apparatus which uses a flavored tablet for the purpose of providing a scrubbing action in both a micro- and macro-textured manner.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tongue cleaner apparatus with increased surface area contact between the tablet and the tongue.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tongue cleaner apparatus with improved abrasive contact between the tablet and the tongue.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a tongue cleaner apparatus which is easy to manufacture, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.